Science

Scientists discover a pain switch that could stop arthritis pain

Those with arthritis could one day be looking at a pain-free lifestyle without having to address the inflammation associated with the disease ©Image Credit: Unsplash / Sasun Bughdaryan

If you suffer from arthritis pain, you know better than anyone how debilitating it can be, negatively affecting your daily routine and lifestyle. It looks like there could be a breakthrough, as scientists find a "pain switch" that they can essentially turn off.

Blocking the pain at the nerve endings

According to the CDC, approximately 53 million Americans have arthritis, making this new research very exciting. Scientists at the University of Warwick have identified a potential way to stop arthritis pain at the source - the nerve endings.

o stop the pain, they blocked an ion channel protein called TRPM2. It works to identify gentle warmth in the body.

In the study, mice were given one injection to block TRPM2 and reverse arthritis pain. The relief lasted two days.

Pain was stopped, but inflammation remained

Typically, people treat arthritis pain by focusing on the inflammation. What makes this research different is that the inflammation persisted, yet the pain was blocked.

Typical treatments right now include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and methotrexate to target inflammation and immune activity. These treatments can suppress your immune system, leaving you open to infections.

Being able to block pain without worrying about inflammation and weakening the immune system could prove pivotal.

The new research zeroed in on how your sensory nerves turn signals from the body into pain. Identifying the signals means you can theoretically turn them off or prevent them from triggering.

Potentially longer-lasting pain relief

The study could also pave the way to longer-lasting pain relief.

"What surprised us most was how completely and how long TRPM2 blockade relieved chronic arthritis pain," said lead author Dr. Xuming Zhang, of Warwick’s School of Life Sciences. "That points to TRPM2 as a genuinely promising drug target for treating chronic pain more effectively than current options allow."

Living with arthritis could become easier

This study shines a light on the research being done on arthritis and gives people hope that there could be better pain treatment in the future.

Source: SciTechDaily, CDC

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